


Allergies

by Syrum



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Hospitals, Kissing, M/M, These dorks, food allergies, modern day AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 11:03:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3689862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syrum/pseuds/Syrum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The prompt from anon:  ‘Cullorian Modern AU  Fancy date, candle light dinner, except one of them has an allergic reaction for the first time ever! I want hospital fluff  +++ If it’s Cullen panicking but Dorian with the allergy‘</p>
<p>Who knew avocado allergies could be so potentially life threatening..?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Allergies

He had been sitting at the table in the corner of an entirely too fancy - and rather too expensive, considering his meagre salary - restaurant for coming up to an hour. Cullen looked down at his watch for what must have been the hundredth time, before signalling the waiter for another glass of overpriced spring water. The man, who had initially stared at the plainly-dressed blonde in disdain when he had first arrived, offered him a pitying glance before disappearing to fetch his water. Even the couple dining at the table next to his were shooting him sympathetic glances and speaking in hushed tones.

“His date must have decided to stand him up, poor dear.”

“And in a place like this, he doesn’t look like he can afford the tab!”

“ _Hush_ dear, you’re being rude.” The woman shot him another look, and he pretended not to notice, though the blush across his cheeks and his unhappy frown spoke volumes. “Probably a cruel joke.” She finally murmured, going back to what might as well have been lobster and caviar considering the prices on the menu, and in fact may well have been.

“I’m so sorry I’m late.” He had been waiting over an hour, and by all rights should have been irritated beyond belief, but somehow as soon as Dorian shot him that winning smile with those perfect white teeth, any irritation he might have felt melted away. “I got caught up at work and couldn’t get away.”

“It’s fine.” Cullen mumbled, standing to greet the younger man with a blush and a shy smile, the task of pulling Dorian’s chair out for him one that he relished perhaps more than he should have.

“Always so chivalrous! Careful, you’ll end up spoiling me.” Dorian chuckled, browsing swiftly through the wine menu and picking a bottle of red that was well above Cullen’s price range. His dark haired date must have noticed him baulk at the price and reached across the table once the waiter had left, taking hold of Cullen’s hand. “Not to worry, this one is on me, considering how long I’ve left you waiting.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to.” The blonde tried, gently squeezing the fingers within his own.

“Nonsense, this restaurant was my pick and I’m not above spoiling my dates every now any then.” Dorian replied, pulling away only when the waiter returned with the bottle and two large glasses, offering a small drop for Dorian to try to see if it suited him. “You’ll join me in this, yes?” He nodded to the man, who poured a half glass for him and placed it upon the table.

“Please.” Cullen gave an embarrassed nod to the waiter, who poured the second glass and departed while they perused the menu together, returning only once they were ready to place their orders. Cullen, naturally, chose the least expensive items on the menu, earning an eye-roll from his date though aside from that Dorian did not really comment.

“Now then,” Dorian started, picking out his starter and then moving on to the mains. “I would usually have the sea bream with minted pea - it’s lovely, you know, if you would like to change your mind?” Cullen simply shook his head, having already seen the price of the dish in question, though it did sound extremely appealing. “Well, suit yourself. I think I shall be daring this time and have something entirely new. The marinated lobster with the avocado salsa for me, thank you.”

“You’ve been here before, then?” Cullen asked with some surprise, remaining unusually blush-free when Dorian once more took hold of his hand over the table, though he could not help but find the man’s choice of lobster rather more cliché than he was expecting.

“It is one of my favourite eateries, actually.” The younger man smiled, taking a sip of his wine and humming lowly in approval. “I’ve been coming here for years now, the food is excellent. You’ve never been, I take it?”

“It isn’t exactly on my list of affordable places to eat.” The blonde admitted, glancing away. He had never been ashamed of his status, or of the lack of wealth held by his family, but the splendour of the restaurant was starting to make him wonder if perhaps Dorian was a little out of his league. They were only four dates in, and already the class gap was starting to show; Dorian was the son of a duke, though admittedly estranged for the moment, and he came from a simple background. They were, in everything aside from mind, like chalk and cheese. And yet here they both were, Dorian staring at him like he was some precious gem, never looking down on him for what he had or didn’t have, judging him on his character only. The man was nothing like the one Cullen had expected when finally introduced through a friend over a month past.

“Well, perhaps next time you should pick somewhere? I have, rather selfishly, decided on the last two places, it is most definitely your turn.” The soft voice of his date broke him from his self-depreciating reverie, and the squeeze of his fingers indicated that Dorian was well aware of what he was doing.

“I thought maybe, if you wanted to that is, that I could cook you something? If you don’t mind eating a home-cooked meal, that is.”

“That sounds positively wonderful.” Dorian smiled broadly, eyes lighting up in a way Cullen knew to be nothing but sincere. “I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in as long as I can remember.”

“You don’t cook?” Cullen asked curiously, wondering what precisely the younger man did the rest of the time to feed himself - he couldn’t survive entirely on restaurant food and take away, surely?

“Despite what you may think about me being talented in all walks of light, I’m afraid I must shatter that illusion now; I don’t have the faintest idea how to so much as boil an egg. I am utterly, and completely, useless in the kitchen.” He smiled as this drew a short laugh from the blonde, loving the way his date’s face lit up whenever amusement crossed his features.

“I could teach you? If you want me to, of course.”

“It would be an honour.” Dorian replied with a smirk. “Though you will have to discern for yourself whether I’m agreeing in order to learn a new skillset, or simply to spend as much time with you as possible.”

“Can’t it be both?” Cullen asked, though any answer Dorian might have given was cut off on the arrival of their starters. They ate in near-silence, occasionally shooting heated glances across the table at one another, and it crossed Cullen’s mind more than once to invite his date back to his ‘for coffee’ more than once over the next half hour.

The main course followed the starter, and while Dorian’s lobster did look delicious, Cullen’s own meal of buttered cod was utterly mouth-watering and without a shadow of a doubt the best thing he had ever eaten. The piquillo peppers gave a hint of sweetness with only the mildest of heat, though he was uncertain how he felt about the tiny octopus decorating his plate and decided it would be best if he left it untouched.

“I have to admit, I was wondering if you would show after the last time.” Dorian finally broke the food-induced silence, not looking up from his plate as he cut another section of lobster.

“The thing with your father?” It had been mortifying for Dorian, that much Cullen could remember, and it took all he had in him not to leap to the man’s defence under such abuse from a man who was supposed to love and support his only son. “It bothered me, but not in the way you might think. I almost punched the man.” He admitted, looking somewhat bashful.

“You would have done that for me?” Dorian replied, looking somewhat surprised. “That’s sweet, if a bit barbaric.”

“Yes, well, what did your father call me? Your ‘bit of rough’? It’s probably a good thing I didn’t, then. It would only have validated his point.” He chuckled, but the look of amusement quickly fell from his face at the confused and slightly distant look upon Dorian’s face.

“My tongue hurts.” The man stated by way of explanation, words carrying an unusual lisp to them, and as he opened his mouth Cullen could see that the organ was rather larger than it should normally have been. Within moments, Dorian’s lips and cheeks swelled up, and though he did not remember moving Cullen found himself at the man’s side, yelling for someone to call an ambulance. Dorian stared up at him with terrified eyes, near enough hyperventilating as he struggled to breathe.

“I need you to stay calm, Dorian, can you do that for me?” He was kneeling before the frightened man, holding both of his hands and keeping Dorian’s gaze upon him, keeping him focussed, though he had no memory of how he got there, moving on instinct alone. “You need to focus on your breathing, okay? You’re going to be fine, I promise.”

The following minutes passed in a blur, and all Cullen could really recall were the tears streaming down Dorian’s face as the pair were bundled into the back of an ambulance, only barely registering when a paramedic injected something into Dorian’s arm. He vaguely recalled mumbling something about their being engaged to persuade the paramedics to allow him to accompany them to the hospital. It felt like hours passed in the belly of that screaming, rumbling beast before they reached their destination, and not once did he release his date’s hand, utterly terrified that he might lose Dorian for good.

“Anaphylaxis? He’s reacted well to the adrenaline shot, so I’d say that was a certainty.” The room they placed Doran in was not a private one, which he complained about bitterly once he had his voice - and his senses - back. Cullen sat beside him in silence, listening and nodding where necessary, more interested in the muttering of doctors beyond the fabric screen.

“Young man, you have been extremely lucky.” A dark hand slipped around the curtain, followed by a slender arm. He felt Cullen tense slightly beside him as a tall woman stepped into the cubicle, closing the curtain behind her and moving briskly over to stand beside the bed, checking him over. “Had Cullen been any less attentive in calling for aid, we likely would not be speaking like this.”

“Thanks, Vivienne.” The blonde muttered to his side, not looking up to meet the woman’s eyes.

“It’s ‘Doctor de Fer’ when I’m at work, dear.” She chided gently, before turning her attentions back to Dorian. “Now, have you ever experienced any allergies before? The restaurant were kind enough to provide us with a list of ingredients in everything you ate, and however illegible that list may have been, there were quite a few allergens on there that could trigger anaphylactic shock.”

“Not that I can recall, I haven’t had a reaction to food before.”

“And how about non-food allergens? We can have you tested before you leave, if there’s nothing you’re aware of, but if you could list of any allergies you have, dear, that would be most helpful.”

“Well now, let me think.” He did not like the way she was speaking with him, and her bedside manner was utterly atrocious, but Cullen seemed to know her so he kept his opinions to himself for the moment. “Nickel, pollen, certain fragrances and latex, those are the only ones I’m aware of.”

“Ah, I see.” She scanned the list, pursing her lips slightly. “The carrots and tomatoes may have triggered your pollen allergy, and the avocado would likely have caused a reaction due to the naturally occurring latex.” She looked up from the list, fixing him with a piercing glare. “Have any of those ever caused problems for you before?”

“I haven’t eaten avocado before, so I wouldn’t know.” Dorian narrowed his eyes, feeling Cullen’s fingers tangle with his own in subtle warning.

“So it is the latex allergy. Remain here, I will provide you with a list of items to avoid, and will arrange for a comprehensive allergy test once you are recovered.” And with that she was gone, high heeled shoes clacking as she marched down the hall away from the pair now hidden behind the curtain once more.

“Well, she might take the prize for worst part of this evening.” Dorian grumbled softly, shifting on the hospital bed so that he might get at least a little more comfortable.

“Vivienne isn’t the best with people, but her heart’s in the right place.” Cullen replied with a smile, his initial relaxation at being left alone with the younger man twisting into a level of uncertainty that he did not know quite how to deal with.

“If by ‘the right place’ you mean ‘somewhere by her feet’ then yes, I suppose you’re right.” He could feel the tension radiating off his date, and it concerned him more that it perhaps should considering the fledgling nature of their not-quite relationship. “That’s two dates now I’ve ruined, isn’t it? Did you want to try for a third, or shall we leave it at that?”

It took a moment for Cullen to comprehend exactly what Dorian was saying, and when he did his eyes widened ever so slightly, the corners of his mouth turning downwards slightly as the hand he held within his own slid free. “I don’t want what happened tonight to ruin...this.” He indicated vaguely between himself and the younger man, who watched him carefully. “Whatever ‘this’ is.”

“You would want to see me again, after being verbally abused by my father and having to abandon half of your meal to sit with me in the hospital?” Dorian raised his eyebrow at his date, the quirk of his lip shifting his now slightly less than perfectly groomed moustache. “You are rather more resilient than most, it seems, or perhaps simply more stubborn. Alright, if you will have me, then I shall gladly take you up on your offer of a home-cooked meal, provided the offer still stands?”

“Of course-” Whatever Cullen was about to say was cut off rather abruptly by Vivienne returning with a printed sheet, a prescription and an insurance form which took Dorian entirely too long to fill out. It was closing in on midnight by the time the man was finally discharged, with instructions not to perform strenuous activity of any kind - though he was certain the reference was lost on Cullen who had simply nodded along, which appeared to amuse the lady doctor - and to remain awake for a few hours more.

“I don’t like the thought of you going home to an empty house.” Cullen murmured when they were part of the way across the car park, arm around the marginally shorter man as they made their way to the taxi rank, Cullen’s car and both of their coats having been abandoned at the restaurant.

“Then don’t let me.” The lecherous grin that accompanied Dorian’s comment was too blatant for even Cullen to miss, and Dorian had to admit he relished the intense blush that followed. It may have been getting more difficult to make the slightly older man flush, but he was still managing it. He may not be able to utterly ravish the hot blonde just yet, but it was enough for now simply teasing Cullen.

“My place isn’t exactly a mansion, but it’s clean enough, and I can turn the heating up for you?” He knew already how much Dorian despised the cold, the pleasant night air of summer holding too much of a chill for the man, and he shivered even with the addition of Cullen’s body heat.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, provided you have a supply of hot chocolate that I can indulge in?”

“I’m sure I can manage that.” Cullen laughed, nuzzling into the side of Dorian’s head without thinking. The motion seemed to stop the younger man in his tracks, and for a moment Cullen wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake, moved too fast, but in less than a second one of Dorian’s hands had fisted in the back of his hair, pulling him into a kiss that he enthusiastically returned, moustache tickling his top lip as they moved together. It ended entirely too soon for his liking, though, and with a smirk Dorian pulled him towards a waiting taxi, Cullen following obediently behind, a silly smile upon his face the whole way home.


End file.
